Hello everybody. I apologize for the long delay in between blog postings - I hope you find it in your hearts to forgive me. I do not foresee another delay like this happening.

I’m using today’s blog to tell you about the upcoming Salzmann Selections book discussion, to take place Thursday, May 30th starting at 6 p.m. The book that the group will be reading is “Rafael, Cardinal Merry del Val,” by Marie Buehrle. It is an older book, written in 1957.

This book looks at his life and the influences he had in the Vatican during his time there, and also shows a little background into some of the processes of deciding a new pope, granted decades ago. Here is a short summary of who Merry del Val Cardinal Rafael was:

Rafael Merry del Val y de Zulueta (10 October 1865 – 26 February 1930), Servant of God, was a British-born Spanish Roman Catholic cardinal. Before becoming a cardinal, he served as secretary of the conclave that elected Saint Pius X, who is said to have accepted his election as Pope through Merry del Val's encouragement. Pius X later appointed him as the Cardinal Secretary of State. Merry del Val composed the Litany of Humility. A cause for his canonization was opened in 1953. (information from Wikipedia).

We hope to see you there. 
Also, two of our patrons are looking at setting up another book discussion as more of a weekly or biweekly event, with Pope Benedict’s “Introduction to Christianity” as the first book. They are thinking right now of doing a chapter or two each discussion in order to break down the book and reveal the teachings hidden within. If you are interested in that, please leave a comment on the blog or contact me, my email address and phone number are listed below.

As always, if you have any ideas and comments for things I could change, please let me know. If you have any books that you have read or have read the books I mention, please leave a comment. We here at Salzmann also want to know what people are reading. Comments are always appreciated - anything I can do to make this better I will strive my best to accomplish.

Here is some basic information about the library:

• Our standard hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays, 12 to 8 p.m.; Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Our address is 3257 S. Lake Dr., St. Francis, WI 53235, right next to Henni Hall, due west of the South Parking Lot.
• The library’s phone number is (414) 747-6479. If you would like to contact me through email, it is mschrauth@sfs.edu.
• There is free Wi-Fi available.
• "Like" us on Facebook – Salzmann Library.
• The library catalog is available online.

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Time for another book review! Although David Hartline wrote “The Tide is Turning Toward Catholicism” in 2006, I am writing about it now because he recently had his second book, “The Catholic Tide Continues To Turn,” published at the end of 2012. So consider this a sort of double review.

David Hartline is the founder and editor of the Catholic Report website (http://www.CatholicReport.org). The first paragraph of the introduction explains his reasons for writing this book: “The idea for this book came to me during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and is an extension of an article I wrote for my CatholicReport.org website. The night before I wrote this article, I thought, “Catholics need to hear all the ‘under the radar’ good news happening in the Catholic Church.”

Written during the time after the election of Pope Benedict XVI, David writes with a straightforward style that I find refreshing. He comes at this book with, as he describes it, an orthodox view of the faith, not to be confused with Traditional view. He has a solid amount of footnotes and notes included, however, coming from a historian background, I wish he would cite a little more evidence in some areas when discussing some dissenting and conforming views. I enjoyed this book immensely, and am looking forward to reading the continuing story, to see the advances of the past six years. Very rarely in this day and age do we hear the positive things that are happening in the Church; David recognized that and did something to change that tendency. For that, I say this book is a definite read.

This book is available through Amazon, however, his new book is unavailable due to the recent closing of the publisher for the book. I was able to acquire it by contacting David directly, and he gave me permission to put out his email address if anybody does want a copy of his newest book - he will be happy to make arrangements to get the book to you. His email address is dhartline@columbus.rr.com.

As always, if you have any ideas and comments for things I could change, please let me know. If you have any books that you have read or have read the books I mention, please leave a comment. We here at Salzmann also want to know what people are reading. Comments are always appreciated - anything I can do to make this better I will strive my best to accomplish.

Here is some basic information about the library:

• Our standard hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays, 12 to 8 p.m.; Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Our address is 3257 S. Lake Dr., St. Francis, WI 53235, right next to Henni Hall, due west of the South Parking Lot.
• The library’s phone number is (414) 747-6479. If you would like to contact me through email, it is mschrauth@sfs.edu.
• There is free Wi-Fi available.
• "Like" us on Facebook – Salzmann Library.
• The library catalog is available online.

Comment (0)

Our next Vatican II lecture is almost here, have you signed up yet?

It will be this coming Thursday, April 11th, at 7 p.m. Salzmann Library is proud to sponsor Bishop Richard J. Sklba on that day, who will be speaking on Vatican II. His lecture, “Vatican II: Grace and Gift/ Event and Process,” will be in Henni Hall – Inner Commons at the Saint Francis de Sales Seminary. If you are unsure where that is, when you get to the seminary grounds, go to the large building, and there will be signs to help you.

As a seminarian and newly ordained priest, Bishop Sklba spent time in Rome during the Council, and so brings a unique perspective to his talk.

If you are interested, please make sure to contact us. We have more than 70 people signed up already, looking forward to our best talk yet.

You can RSVP either through kfrymark@sfs.edu or by calling at (414) 747-6479. If nobody answers, leave a message with the name and number you are calling for – we want to be sure that we have enough coffee and small treats for everyone after the lecture.
We look forward to seeing you there. My next blog will be a book review.

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“Habemus Papem!” This was my first conclave working at the seminary. In 2005 I was sitting alone in my apartment when the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI happened, lucky enough to be in-between classes so that I could watch the excitement. Unfortunately I was watching the excitement on TV in my quiet house.

It was different this time. We were eating lunch together with a phone on so that we could watch a bird sitting on a chimney. As the time passed nothing changed.
And then the white smoke. Excitement ensued. Who is it? The bells were ringing, and everybody was gathered, waiting to see who our next “Papa” would be. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis.

I would have liked to use this paragraph to mention the many books we have by and about him. I would have liked to write to come in and check them out. I would have liked to say that I knew more about him than his name and that he was from Argentina before he was elected.

Alas, this time it is not the case. A keyword search for Bergoglio brings up nothing. However, I can say with certainty, that that will quickly change. He has written books, although again, as of Wednesday none were available on a quick search on Amazon. On Friday several were available in Kindle format. The publishing world will make up for lost time.  In the meantime, you can learn more about the history of Argentina and the church there, the Jesuits, and St. Francis of Assisi, the saint whose name Pope Francis selected. Pope Francis told thousands of journalists March 16 that he took to heart the words of his friend and chose to be called after St. Francis of Assisi, “the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation,” the same created world “with which we don’t have such a good relationship.”

While you’re reading about St. Francis of Assisi, why not learn more about the other St. Francises: St. Francis Xavier and given where I work, St. Francis de Sales should be mentioned as well.

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Today I have a shorter blog, but one with an important update regarding our technological capabilities at the library - we have a second public computer! *So this might not seem the biggest news, but it is good news for us.*

We have been able to acquire a second public computer, for our patrons to use for online research or typing in the downstairs study room. It has Microsoft Office, and is capable of printing through our network computer. We still have the first computer, located near the library entrance, which we plan to keep available as a catalog search computer, or something else that might just take a minute or so.

As always, if you have any ideas and comments for things I could change, please let me know. If you have any books that you have read or have read the books I mention, please leave a comment. We here at Salzmann also want to know what people are reading. Comments are always appreciated - anything I can do to make this better I will strive my best to accomplish.

Here is some basic information about the library:

• Our standard hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays, 12 to 8 p.m.; Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Our address is 3257 S. Lake Dr., St. Francis, WI 53235, right next to Henni Hall, due west of the South Parking Lot.
• The library’s phone number is (414) 747-6479. If you would like to contact me through email, it is mschrauth@sfs.edu.
• There is free Wi-Fi available.
• "Like" us on Facebook – Salzmann Library.
• The library catalog is available online.

Comment (0)

It is time for my monthly book review! Anne Bender, a longtime user of the library, recommended this next book on the Salzmann Library Facebook page a month ago (I invite you all to follow her blog, “Imprisoned in my Bones”). The book Anne recommended, “The Church Building as a Sacred Place: beauty, transcendence, and the eternal,” by Duncan Stroik, Liturgy Training Publications, is a little bit on the pricey side, but an excellent read.

Here is the review from the Amazon website: “For decades, Duncan Stroik has led the renewal movement in Catholic church architecture and its reengagement with tradition. Once a lone voice crying in the wilderness, he has since become a leading educator and practitioner, a man whose name is almost a household word and has proven that large, beautiful, traditional Catholic architecture is indeed possible today. For this reason, this book is almost as much a collection of primary source readings about Stroik's role in the New Classical movement as it is a primer on church architecture itself.” - Denis R. McNamara.

The book has 23 essays, covering topics ranging from church modernism and modernity, to renaissance and renewal, also, principles of church design, and a critique of modern iconoclasm. Richly illustrated, the pictures allow you to follow along, and sing praise. One of the author’s architectural examples is not too far from here either, the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse.  So please find a copy, and enjoy the sacred architecture.
As always, if you have any ideas and comments for things I could change, please let me know.

As always, if you have any ideas and comments for things I could change, please let me know. If you have any books that you have read or have read the books I mention, please leave a comment. We here at Salzmann also want to know what people are reading. Comments are always appreciated - anything I can do to make this better I will strive my best to accomplish.
Here is some basic information about the library:

• Our standard hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays, 12 to 8 p.m.; Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Our address is 3257 S. Lake Dr., St. Francis, WI 53235, right next to Henni Hall, due west of the South Parking Lot.
• The library’s phone number is (414) 747-6479. If you would like to contact me through email, it is mschrauth@sfs.edu.
• There is free Wi-Fi available.
• "Like" us on Facebook – Salzmann Library.
• The library catalog is available online.

Comment (0)

The Salzmann Library book discussion at the end of January, about “Falling Upward” by Richard Rohr, was a success. A lively discussion was had by all.

Mark your calendars for the next book discussion on Thursday, March 14 at 6:30pm. Anybody that can make it is invited. Two books will be discussed; you only need to have looked at one of them. 

One of the books that will be featured at the next discussion is “Hope is an Open Door,” by Mary Luke Tobin, a nun who attended Vatican II, and the teachings and the doors that Vatican II opened up in her life. Her book, published in 1981, is 140 pages - perfect for a short read and then to attend the book discussion. We have two copies available here at the library.

The second book, “Remi de Roo: Chronicles of a Vatican II Bishop” by Bishop Remi de Roo, is a memoir from the last surviving English Canadian bishop who participated in Vatican II. His book offers an intimate, insightful perspective on how Remi de Roo has kept the vision of Vatican II alive. De Roo's memoir provides an exceptional firsthand perspective of the Council as well as the many joys and challenges implementing its reform of the church in the years after. This book, published in 2012, is 208 pages, an, again, not a long or difficult read.

We hope to see you on March 14th at our bimonthly Salzmann book discussion!

As always, if you have any ideas and comments for things I could change, please let me know. If you have any books that you have read or have read the books I mention, please leave a comment. We here at Salzmann also want to know what people are reading. Comments are always appreciated - anything I can do to make this better I will strive my best to accomplish.
Here is some basic information about the library:

• Our standard hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays, 12 to 8 p.m.; Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Our address is 3257 S. Lake Dr., St. Francis, WI 53235, right next to Henni Hall, due west of the South Parking Lot.
• The library’s phone number is (414) 747-6479. If you would like to contact me through email, it is mschrauth@sfs.edu.
• There is free Wi-Fi available.
• "Like" us on Facebook – Salzmann Library.
• The library catalog is available online.

Comment (0)

I apologize for the lack of blogs lately. However, we are now back and ready for weekly blogs to return. This week I want to mention an incredible donation that was given to us in the past two months.

Fr. Robert Drutowski was ordained June 8^th, 1979, and dedicated 33 years of his life to the ministry in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. He died on October 29^th, 2012 (information gathered from his obituary). His brother, Karl, contacted us and said that Fr. Robert had an extensive library that they would like to donate to us. Extensive was not the correct word; they donated approximately 100 boxes of books in the months of December and January. We have now gone through approximately three-fourths of the boxes, and want to make you aware of what is available.

This past month and a half we have been sorting, checking, and adding to the collection several hundred of the books donated; it was an excellent spiritual collection. The books range from spiritual to biblical studies, from different types of Bibles to Wisconsin history, pastoral and parish resource guides to theological works and many more. They are all available to be checked out from Salzmann like any other book.

In addition, we have had more than 1,500 books that have not been added to the collection, and are available for people to obtain for a suggested donation of $0.50 per paperback and $1 per hardcover. The majority of these are books that we already have in the collection. If we think they are good enough for the library, then they are good enough in somebody’s home library as well. Fr. Robert also was interested in leadership and motivation, and there are many books in that topic as well if one is interested.

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Coming back to you for another year, the Salzmann Selection Monthly Book Review! (better title coming soon) To start off the New Year right, I decided to review a short, 150-page book I recently read by Pope Benedict XVI. It is entitled “Jesus, the Apostles, and the Early Church,” published by Ignatius Press in 2007 and available through Amazon in both Kindle and hardcover editions.

The book is based on Pope Benedict XVI’s weekly teaching on the relationship between Christ and the church throughout the year of 2006 and early 2007. Pope Benedict begins by describing overarching themes that Jesus left the early Church, and then delves into the lives of some of Jesus’ early followers, both Apostles and their associates, individually. “Far from distorting the truth about Jesus of Nazareth, insists Pope Benedict, the early disciples remained faithful to it, even at the cost of their lives.” – excerpt from the inside flap.

I thought the book was interesting, and an excellent read for some information on the early church. As Pope Benedict mentions several times, it is not meant to be an exegetical work, or full history, of any of the people mentioned. As these are taken from weekly addresses, none are especially long; the average chapter is five to six pages. He spends several chapters on the different aspects of Peter and Paul, which I liked. Pope Benedict XVI does a good job of parsing what the Bible tells us, and what tradition tells us about the early followers of Jesus. He uses the Apostles and early followers to bring the themes of Christianity back to us, and regularly exhorts us to follow their examples. He does not bog down anywhere in minutiae, and the book is easy to read and follow.

I think one of the reviews on Amazon has a great description of the book: “The purpose was to pick out an aspect or two of each figure from Scripture, and develop it into a short meditation on aspects of Christian life in particular, and the infant church in general.” I recommend this book, and encourage you to come in, check it out, and read it; it will not take you that long.

As always, if you have any ideas and comments for things I could change, please let me know. If you have any books that you have read or have read the books I mention, please leave a comment. We here at Salzmann also want to know what people are reading. Comments are always appreciated - anything I can do to make this better I will strive my best to accomplish.

Here is some basic information about the library:

• Our standard hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays, 12 to 8 p.m.; Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Our address is 3257 S. Lake Dr., St. Francis, WI 53235, right next to Henni Hall, due west of the South Parking Lot.
• The library’s phone number is (414) 747-6479. If you would like to contact me through email, it is mschrauth@sfs.edu.
• There is free Wi-Fi available.
• "Like" us on Facebook – Salzmann Library.
• The library catalog is available online.

Comment (0)

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Epiphany! I hope it was a great Christmas season for everybody out there, it definitely was for us. Christmas was spent in Minneapolis with Rachel’s family, in-between Christmas and New Year’s was spent visiting with my family, and New Year’s was a casual affair having friends over at our house. A great way to finish what was a transformative year for me.

First announcement: Friday, Jan. 11, we will be closed for a seminary event. We will open again at our normal time on Saturday of 10 a.m. Second announcement: Next week’s blog will be another book review, so don’t miss it!

Now for the main piece of this week’s blog. As mentioned previously, please mark your calendar to save Thursday, April 11 at 7 p.m. for our second “Vatican II Year of Faith” talk. As some of you may recall, Fr. Mel talked this fall, and it was an excellent night. In the spring, Bishop Sklba is going to present for us.  The title of his talk is “Vatican II: Grace and Gift/Event and Process.” It should be an excellent presentation; and I for one am looking forward to it. If you know you are going to attend, we ask that you RSVP at mschrauth@sfs.edu or kfrymark@sfs.edu or call us at (414) 747-6479 so that we can have an estimate for the talk. I know this is several months out, but I want you to put it in your calendar now so that you do not forget. I will send out another reminder as we get closer to the date.

As always, if you have any ideas and comments for things I could change, please let me know. If you have any books that you have read or have read the books I mention, please leave a comment. We here at Salzmann also want to know what people are reading. Comments are always appreciated - anything I can do to make this better I will strive my best to accomplish.

Here is some basic information about the library:

• Our standard hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays, 12 to 8 p.m.; Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Our address is 3257 S. Lake Dr., St. Francis, WI 53235, right next to Henni Hall, due west of the South Parking Lot.
• The library’s phone number is (414) 747-6479. If you would like to contact me through email, it is mschrauth@sfs.edu.
• There is free Wi-Fi available.
• "Like" us on Facebook – Salzmann Library.
• The library catalog is available online.

Comment (0)